Seattle Sights { Day 1 }

It’s 10:32pm on a Friday evening. While I’m raring to blog, I’m honestly quite exhausted from the super busy day that I had. I guess that explains why I can’t think of a more exciting title. Hahaha! I hope it’s not a sign of the rest of the article that I’m about to write :p.

The take-off point of our 7-day Alaskan Cruise was Seattle. I have to admit, I’ve been really intrigued by this place ever since the movie Sleepless in Seattle and more recently, TV’s Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve also never been there before so I was really excited to experience something new, and to finally have the opportunity to explore this waterfront state.

Of all the sights to see, Seattle is most known for the Space Needle. Built 50 years ago for the 1962 World Fair, it is the most interesting feature in the Seattle skyline. It has an observation deck 520 feet high from the ground, as well as a revolving restaurant at the very top.

When the H and I took the elevator up the Space Needle, it was not as high as I thought it would be. In fact, the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center seem much, much higher in comparison. The views, however, of the Puget Sound and the neighborhoods of Seattle are wonderfully unobstructed from here. And on the beautiful sunny day that we were there, we were able to take lots of pictures of the remarkable views.

The Space Needle is only one attraction in the entire Seattle Center area. Other interesting places to see there are the Pacific Science Center, the Frank Gehry designed Experience Music Project, and the Chihuly Garden.

Amongst these attractions, I was most interested in seeing the exhibit of glass-blowing art by Dale Chihuly. His work was really spectacular!!!! The H and I were awed not just by the bright and beautiful colors, but also by the twists and turns, and the intricacies of his work. We were very happy we decided to see this exhibit.

The city of Seattle is comprised of several neighborhoods. Closest to our hotel was the Downtown Seattle District, where many of the key attractions–including the waterfront–are found.

One such attraction is Pike Place Market.

They say that no trip to Seattle is complete without stopping by this famous, massive, open-air bazaar, where everything from flowers to fish, to cheese and souvenirs are sold.

At the market itself, one must definitely take a photo by Rosie the bronze pig, and witness seafood vendors tossing some fresh fish around amidst amused audiences. It really is quite a spectacle! :) The H and I were lucky to catch a “show” during our visit :).

From the market, the waterfront is just a couple of steps away. Here you will find the Seattle Aquarium, a huge ferris wheel reminiscent of the London Eye, plus a bunch of shops, museums and restaurants. One of the more famous places to eat is Ivar’s–known for their fish and chips, as well as other seafood offerings :). This is where we ate during our first night in Seattle :). The haddock and clam chowder are clearly the stars of their menu :).

Because this is getting to be a bit lengthy, I’ll save the rest of the Seattle Sights for my next post. But don’t you think Seattle is lovely, so far? :)